Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Any thoughts of a boundary change for Forest Lake Area Schools this fall have now been tucked away on the shelf, the ISD 831 Board of Education agreed last week.

Meeting in regular session on Feb. 1, the school board accepted an administration recommendation to nix any plans for a boundary change. Instead, the school board approved Superintendent Lynn Steenblock's plan to hire a consultant for a new demographic study and enrollment projection.

The change in course follows a December report to the school board by Steenblock who was given the green light to conduct a preliminary review to determine if the district should move forward with a boundary change to better utilize facilities and staff.

After conducting the administrative study with the help of board members Eric Langness and Joe Grafft, the boundary change was put on ice.

The conclusion of the study group, Steenblock said, was that a boundary change at this time "didn't make sense."

Boundary lines for the district's seven elementary schools have not been changed since 2003. Steenblock in late 2006 offered the topic as part of a periodic review process.

Short of a boundary change, the superintendent instead recommended the demographic study and enrollment project study as the next step for the district. It has been two years since the district last retained a consultant for such work.

Steenblock recommended hiring Hazel Reinhardt, who has been utilized in the past.

The school board agreed to the superintendent's request by way of a 5-0 vote with two members absent on Feb. 1. In addition to the demographic and enrollment study, the consultant will also be asked to submit a housing occupancy study.

According to a proposal submitted by Reinhardt, the cost of the demographic and K-12 public school enrollment study will be $5000. The professional fee for the housing occupancy study is $4600.

The consultant will also be entitled to expenses. She will charge 48.5 cent per mile for on-the-job expenses. She will also be paid $250 for each study presentation that is requested by the school district.

Key factors

After conducting its review in December and January, Steenblock concluded the time was not right for a boundary change.

Enrollment for grades K-6 was 3601 students this fall. Three years prior, the K-6 enrollment total was 3920.

That's 319 students more than the current level.

In light of public school enrollment pressures that include the Lakes International Language Academy and other private and charter schools, Steenblock predicted another decrease in K-6 enrollment for the 2007 fall term.

"A survey of room usage in the elementary schools shows that the buildings are being used efficiently," Steenblock wrote in a report to the board.

Steenblock said the administration would carefully monitor several areas that could have a future impact possible boundary change considerations.

Classroom pressure for Early Childhood Family Education, Early Childhood Special Education and other programs based at the Central Learning Center has resulted in limited enrollment opportunities and program expansion, he said.

Steenblock said the study confirmed that adequate space is now available to house elementary special education programs that are housed at Forest View, Forest Lake and Wyoming elementary schools.

These factors, coupled with the Reinhardt reports, could put the district in a position to once again consider a boundary change for the fall term in 2008, the superintendent said.

As proposed in December as part of its review, the administration would undertake the study of boundary changes. Once a report is compiled, it would be brought to the school board for review and comment and a series of public meetings.

Once that process is completed, the school board would vote on any recommended changes in boundary lines.

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